Journey of a Light Mage - A Fairytail Fanfic

Chapter 38- Seeking Comfort

A/N: ***Slight Trigger warning for this chapter. You have been warned.***

***Rachel's p.o.v***

"I heard from Master Macao. Axra and Scurge are still in prison. Valenzula didn't break them out over the last 7 years," I stated.

"Shouldn't you be happy about that? Why are you upset?" Porlyusica questioned me as she continued organizing.

I was currently inside Porlyusica's hut, helping her reorganize her medical herbs.

"It just means that Valenzula has no use for them in his plan anymore. Which is more worrisome," I cautioned, worried.

Whack!

"Ow! Wha-" I started.

"Quit your moping will you! You have that entire guild of brats who care deeply about you! Do you really think their going to let some psychopath beat them! Sigh, they will have your back, but only if you let them help you. It's not just your fight anymore. So let them help you, and quit your moping!" Porlyusica yells as I dodged another swing from her broom.

I sighed and continued reorganizing, pondering over Porlyusica's words.

***Freed's p.o.v***

"Ok. We need to go on a mission. I am extremely low on jewels and I am in need of some beauty supplies," Ever whined.

Bickslow and I rolled our eyes. "Even still, Ever's right. I'm low on jewels as well so we should go on a mission," Bickslow stated.

"I agree," I agreed.

"Oh! Hey! Why don't we invite Rachel to go with us!" Ever suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Bickslow agreed.

"We would have to leave tomorrow then, Rachel is with Miss Porlyusica all day today," I explained to them.

"That's fine. We can pick out a mission today and you can ask her if she wants to join us on the mission tonight when she gets back," Bickslow reasoned, Ever nodding in agreement.

"Alright," I responded.

***Timeskip*** ***Rachel's p.o.v***

I sighed, finally arriving home. It was super late as I had lost track of time spending time with Porlyusica. I quietly headed to bed as to not disturb Freed since he was probably asleep by now. After getting myself ready for bed, I plopped down on my bed and passed out.

***Timeskip***

I jolted awake with a start, gasping for air as I struggled to breathe. My breathing quickened as my heart felt like it would burst through my chest at any moment. My whole body shook as I felt the deafening pounding in my head.

'Calm down. Calm down,' I repeated over and over in my head, but no matter how many times I repeated it, I couldn't remember how.

My vision started swimming and I panicked, yanking off the suffocating blankets and scrambling out of my bed. I fought against the flashbacks as I stumbled across my bedroom. Things came crashing down around me, but I didn't care. I needed to stop what was happening, but I didn't know how.

The shaking finally took over as I crumbled to the floor. I squeezed my hands around my head as I pressed as far back into the dark corner of my room as I could go.

I fought against the flashbacks popping into my head, I fought against seeing them again. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I cried. I didn't know what was happening to me and I was scared because of it.

I remembered the feeling of his hands on my wrists as he destroyed them beneath his grip. I frantically slammed my hands against the wall in an effort to get him to let go. As the pain in my wrists intensified, my body went into a full-blown panic as I slammed my wrists even harder against the wall. I just had to get him to let go.

"Rachel!" Someone yelled. I suddenly felt strong arms grab my hands and wrap their arms around my body in an effort to stop me from further harming myself.

"No! No! Get off!" I screamed struggling beneath their hold in a panic at the sudden new contact.

"Rachel, please stop! Calm down! It's me! Listen to my voice! Listen!" They shouted. It sounded like Freed, but I didn't believe it. It was a trick. It wasn't real.

My hands fell limp to my sides as I started hyperventilating. My head hurt, my heart hurt, everything just hurt.

"Rachel, it's okay, I'm here. Everything's going to be ok," the voice above me whispered, tightening their grip. Scared, I tried to push away, but the strong arms held their grip.

Green hair slid into my view and I froze. "Freed?" I rasped.

"I got you," Freed murmured back. He was here. He really was here. I collapsed against Freed's body, trusting him to take care of me because I couldn't do it myself.

Freed held me securely, running a hand through my hair. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as I whimpered.

"Shhh. Your safe. Just breathe ok? Take deep breaths," Freed instructed quietly, noticing I was still hyperventilating.

"Please don't leave," I whimpered.

"I won't. Just breathe ok?" he promised.

After a few moments of breathing, my trembling had died down and my breathing had started to even back out into a normal pace.

Freed continued to stroke my hair as we stayed there in relative silence apart from our own breathing.

"Freed?" I rasped.

"Hey, you okay now?" he whispered gently. I nodded slowly. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

Instinctively, I remembered Laxus and Porlyusica's words.

'They have your back, but only if you let them help you.'

'Give him a chance.'

I nodded weakly before shaking my head. "Later?" Freed gently questioned. I nodded slowly.

We sat there in silence for a few more moments, with Freed gently stroking my hair, before I felt myself start to nod off.

Freed gently picked me up and laid me down in my bed, pulling the covers over top of me.

I panicked for a second, thinking he was going to leave me, before he climbed under the covers alongside me, pulling me close. After a few moments of silence, I muttered, "I've had panic attacks before, but they've n-never been this bad." I shuddered in fear.

"Shhh. It's okay. Its over. Don't worry about it, ok?" Freed gently whispered into my hair as he gently stroked it in a soothing manner.

I closed my eyes and leaned against Freed as I finally let sleep take over me once again.

***Freed's p.o.v***

I continued to stroke her hair as she finally was able to get some rest.

'How many times have you cried; how many times do you have to scream before your cries are heard? I will protect you from him. I won't let him hurt you anymore. That way you will never cry again. That is my promise.' I thought, tightening my grip around her.

A/N: By the way, Axra is the name of the dark guildmaster of the first of Valenzula's dark guilds that Rachel ran into back in Chapter 26. I just wanted to clarify that. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I know I did. It was a fun chapter to write and I'm really proud of how the picture turned out! So, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Don't forget to Vote and Comment and enjoy your day everyday!!!